EU Delegation Completes Discreet Visit To Uzbekistan

Special forces on the streets of Andijon shortly after crushing an antigovernment demonstration in May 2005 (epa) PRAGUE, October 25, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- A European Union delegation led by Pierre Morel, the bloc's newly appointed special representative to Central Asia, has just completed a discreet visit to Tashkent.

In comments to RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, EU and Uzbek government spokespersons said the visit took place this week. They gave no further details.

Uzbek media have not carried reports on Morel's visit.

Reuters on October 24 reported that Morel was scheduled to hold talks with Uzbek Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov.

This is the third visit to Uzbekistan by European representatives since the EU suspended high-level contacts with Tashkent in the wake of a military crackdown in Andijon last year.

German Foreign Ministry officials were in Tashkent on October 4. They were followed on October 9-14 by a delegation of German parliamentarians.

Germany will assume the EU's rotating presidency on January 1, 2007.

The EU is due to decide next month whether to expand the sanctions imposed on Uzbekistan since the events at Andijon.